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DSST Introduction To The Modern Middle East

Subjects : dsst, history
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A failed union of Egypt and Syria under Nasser that lasted from 1958 to 1961.






2. Statement issued by Britain's Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour in 1917 favoring the establishment of a Jewish national homeland in Palestine.






3. Iraq invaded Iran on September 22 - 1980 - following a long history of border disputes and triggered by an assassination attempt on their foreign minister.






4. Zionist leaders declared independence and declared the Republic of Israel. Syria - Lebanon - Jordan - Egypt and Iraq refused to recognize the nation and went to war. Arabs invaded - Israeli won.






5. A Palestine-wide rebellion against Zionists and British; put down harshly by the latter.






6. A loyal member of the Ba'th party and the dictator of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. Extended the Ba'th influence in all aspects of Iraqi society.






7. 1989. End of Lebanon civil war. Gave Muslims greater role in politics. Reduced authority of President. Changed religious representation in parliament to make it more equal.






8. An empire formed by Turkish and Persian Sunnis - lasting from 1037 to 1194 A.D.






9. A form of Islamic constitutional republic.






10. A conflict - lasting from 1853 to 1856 - in which the Ottoman Empire - with the aid of Britain and France - halted Russian expansion in the region of the Black Sea.






11. Agreements between the Ottoman Empire and European powers that gave European bankers and merchants high advantages.






12. Prime Minister - then Shah of Iran: Goal was to free Iran from foreign rule and modernize it - but was less successful than his contemporary - Ataturk.






13. Turkish nationalist leader who became the first president of modern Turkey in the 1920's and set about to modernize and Westernize Turkey - including making it more secular. Lasted for 15 years.






14. Creator of the Pan-Arabism movement - which advocates the creation of a united Arab state.






15. A war fought in June - 1967 - between Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt - Jordan - and Syria - in which Israel captured large tracts of Arab territory. Also called the June War.






16. The largest Christian group in Lebanon.






17. Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in October 1973 (on Yom Kippur); Israel counterattacked - drove the Syrians back - and crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt.






18. Albanian; went to Eygpt with the Ottoman expeditionary force to drive out the French; ruler of Eygpt; instituted several Westernized reforms; put private lands under state control.






19. Successor of Nasser and served as President of Egypt from 1970-1981; allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to operate as a political party; made peace with Israel in 1978; caused Egypt to be expelled from the Arab League; assassinated by Khalid Islambuli in






20. Iranian kingdom (1502-1722) established by Ismail Safavi - who declared Iran a Shi'ite state. It claimed power based on its blood ties to Muhammad.






21. Ottoman sultan called the 'Conqueror'; responsible for conquest of Constantinople in 1453; destroyed what remained of Byzantine Empire.






22. Head tax paid by all nonbelievers in Islamic territories.






23. The majority branch of Islam - whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of Muhammad.






24. A system used by the Ottomans whereby subjects were divided into religious communities - with each millet (nation) enjoying autonomous self-government under its religious leaders.






25. Branch of Islam believing that God vests leadership of the community in a descendant of Muhammad's son-in-law Ali. Mainly found in Iran and a small part of Iraq. It is the state religion of Iran.


26. Brought most of the tribes of Najd under his authority and allied with Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab to create the state of Saudi Arabia - defeating the House of Rashid and the Ottoman Empire.


27. July 26 - 1956 - Nasser (leader of Egypt) nationalized the Suez Canal - Oct. 29 - British - French and Israeli forces attacked Egypt. Egypt defeated its opponents soundly - with Soviet backing.






28. A war (1990-1991) that took place between Iraq and the U.S./Kuwait started by Iraq invading Kuwait; First non-containment based war since WWII; Often referred to as Operation Desert Storm; Iraq lost badly.






29. 'Restructuring' reforms by the nineteenth-century Ottoman rulers - intended to move civil law away from the control of religious elites and make the military and the bureacracy more efficient.






30. Party of God. Shi'a militant organization that called for the creation of an Islamic state in Lebanon






31. Uprising in Egypt led by Ahmad Urabi. Despite wide support - it was crushed by the British.


32. An agreement brokered by Norway after months of secret negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1993. By its terms Israel and the PLO recognized each other.






33. Shi'ite philosopher and cleric who led the overthrow of the shah of Iran in the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and created an Islamic republic.






34. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1921 to 1948 - famous for his cooperation with the Nazis against the Jews.






35. The democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran who helped nationalize the oil industry. He was overthrown by a CIA coup in 1963.






36. Infantry - originally of slave origin - armed with firearms and constituting the elite of the Ottoman army from the fifteenth century until the corps was wiped out on the Sultan's orders in 1826.






37. The mother of an Ottoman Sultan - ruler of the harem and a very powerful woman - especially if her son was very young.






38. Took power following the overthrow of the monarchy. Came to power in 1954; Suez crisis was two years later. Gained great reputation at home for his handling of the crisis. Espoused a form of Pan-Arabism called Nasserism - resulting in Egypt joining w






39. Group of revolutionary and nationalistic Turks who revolted against Ottoman empire in 1908 - attempting to bring reform - and then sided with the central powers in WWI.






40. Leader of Egyptian's nationalist Wafd party; his exile by the British brought about the 1919 Egyptian Revolution - and later negotiations led to limited Egyptian independence in 1922.


41. 1955 - A treaty supported by the West that united the defenses of Iraq - Turkey - Pakistan - and Iran - to counter the threat of the expansion of the Soviet Union.






42. Secularist political party founded in 1947 - mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests - opposed to what it sees as 'Western imperialism' and calling for the 'renaissance' or 'resurrection' of the Arab World and its unity into one state.


43. Group of young Egyptian military officers - led by Nasser - which overthrew the monarchy and British advisors in 1952.






44. Son of Sharif Husayn; leader of Arab Revolt; later king of Iraq.






45. British administrator in Egypt - later the Earl of Cromer; reformed economy to improve peasants while still maintaining commercial interests there.






46. The last caliph of Islam from the Ottoman Dynasty.






47. First leader of PLO- Palestinian liberation organization. Used aggressive terrorism to try to destroy Israel. Very actice throughout the 1970's and 1980's. To try to make peace with Israel - was put incharge of Palestinean Authority (PA).






48. Peace treaty between Egypt and Israel - signed in 1979. Israel agreed to withdraw its military from the Gaza Strip and West Bank; Egypt recognized Israel as a state.






49. With help from the British (specifically - T.E. Lawrence) - Sharif Husayn bin Ali of Mecca led a revolt against the Ottoman Empire - in order to create an independent Arab nation. He won the battle - but received no country.






50. Son of Sharif Husayn; ruler of Trans-Jordan and later first king of Jordan.